Cain's Revenge
by LittleFlatts
Summary: Sequel to 'Don't Pry.' Barney retires his team to keep them safe, Max Drummer supplies him with an ex body guard who has a grudge. Molly is left at home to keep her team from drinking themselves into oblivion. M for language.
1. Chapter 1

Barney paced the waiting room anxiously. Caesar had been brought into the ICU ten minutes ago. Molly was down the hall, scaring the hell out of some surgeon, bullying him into operating on their friend.

Barney almost felt bad for the man. _He _certainly wouldn't want to face down an angry Molly. But Caesar was teetering on the precipice between life and death. Barney didn't want to take any chances concerning his health.

Molly came back down the hall, her limp barely noticeable. She was wearing her charcoal colored t shirt, emblazoned with 'Rusty's.'

She and Billy had bought the building when the owner of Old Point died. It hadn't taken long before the bar was up and running again. But, instead of the usual barflies and day-drinkers, Rusty's welcomed a more liberal crowd as well; College kids, business men meeting after work for a beer.

Old Point had been a seedy little blip on the radar, lost among all the other shady places in New Orleans. Billy and Molly had turned it into a respectable establishment.

Of course, it hadn't been a seamless transition. Barney had nearly gotten up to play bouncer a couple of times when the college kids got uppity with the old guard.

Molly had always beat him to throwing them out on their asses, though.

That's where she had been when Toll had called her on their way home from Somalia, with Caesar laying between them, an IV drip hooked to his arm and a piece of gauze taped over his chest.

Molly had dropped everything, leaving Gabriel and the bar in the hands of her husband while she went to prepare the hospital for Caesar's arrival.

Molly wore a pair of holey blue jeans, so faded they were almost white, and a pair of gym shoes. Her hair was knotted at the back of her neck, but strands escaped. There were bruises under her bloodshot eyes.

Barney hadn't gotten a chance to ask Billy how she was doing. It had been two and a half months since she miscarried and hopped a plane to Italy to come save his ass.

"Hey, everything square?" Barney asked as she approached the exhausted men. They had dropped into the waiting room chairs.

"Yeah, they're wheelin' him into surgery now," she nodded, rubbing her brow. Barney smiled a bit before pulling her into a firm hug.

"Good to see ya, Booker," he said gruffly as he pulled away, ruffling her hair. She attempted to smile back.

"You, too. I'm glad the rest of you weren't hurt," she said as Gunnar pulled her into his side. Barney still couldn't get over how much the Swedish giant dwarfed her. Her brown eyes fell onto Doc.

"And who's this?" she wondered, glancing at Barney.

"Doctor Death," he stood and offered his hand, "You can only be John's little girl."

Molly grimaced as she shook his hand firmly. He met her eyes and returned her grip; She appreciated that.

"Yeah, well, I'm not so little anymore. You a medic?" she asked curiously. He grinned a grin that was not all together sane as he released her hand.

"Well, now, you didn't think you were the first medic Barney ever had, did you?" he responded, almost leering. Molly shifted her stance, cocking out a hip as she crossed her arms.

"Naw, I know I'm not the first, but I'm definitely the prettiest," she drawled. There was a beat of silence before he began to cackle.

"You probably are," he agreed.

The doctor came out about forty five minutes later and assured them that Caesar was stable. Nobody felt up to the post mission drinking, though.

"Sorry, fellas, I've got to get back. Billy needs to take Gabriel home and I don't trust my waitress not to set the place on fire. Come by tomorrow afternoon, I'll cook lunch," Molly said apologetically.

"Yeah, alright, thanks, Booker," Barney said gratefully. Truly, he had no right to expect her to drop everything. She wasn't on his payroll, she had quit the Life to raise her son and grow gray with her husband.

But Barney couldn't fool himself. She had the tattoo, she was part of the team, and she would be until she died. He squeezed her hand once and she gave him a fleeting smile.

She would always keep a foot in the door. She would never be able to completely settle down. It wasn't in her blood.

* * *

><p>There was a light knocking on the office door. It was about half past ten, the time where Molly let the staff handle things on their own for an hour or so, so that she could get caught up on paperwork.<p>

_There were no taxes when you killed people for a living,_ she grumbled internally before glancing up.

Jan, her head waitress and shift manager, had poked her head in. Jan was in her late twenties with a Starvation Major, a lot of school bills, and no way to pay it off. She was a good worker and had a good head on her shoulders. Molly liked having her around.

"What's up?" Molly asked, stacking her papers neatly on the desk.

"One of your boys is out here. He's been through about half a bottle of cheap rum already and doesn't look like he has any intention of stopping," Jan informed her. Jan had been around long enough to know the Expendables by sight. She knew Molly and Billy watched out for them.

Immediately, Molly was on her feet and heading out of the office and into the bar.

"He's in the back corner," Jan said, pointing.

"Thanks, hon, I'll take care of it," Molly said, spotting Christmas's shaved head. Her stomach plummeted. Surely, if something had happened to Caesar, they would've called her, wouldn't they?

The bar wasn't too crowded tonight, but those in Molly's way parted like the Red Sea. They knew who she was and how much she enjoyed tossing people out of the bar.

The corner Christmas had claimed was dimly lit. She could only just make out his features as she slid into the booth across from him.

"Lee, is everything ok? Is Hale-" she didn't even want to finish the sentence.

"Fine," he brushed her off gruffly, "Caesar's fine." He poured himself another glass of the rum. Molly frowned deeply as he guzzled it without batting an eye.

"I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here?" Molly hedged. Christmas slammed his glass down. Molly snatched the bottle away before he could grab it. He leaned across the table. Molly could smell the liquor on his breath.

"This is a drinking establishment, Molly, I'm here to _drink_," he wrenched the bottle from her hands and refilled his glass. She sighed deeply.

"Why aren't you drinking at home with Lacey?" she rephrased her question. Christmas scoffed, a hard scowl etched upon his face. He reached into his jacket and pulled a crumpled piece of paper out. He thrust it at her and continued drinking as she smoothed it out onto the table.

Molly instantly recognized Lacey's girlish cursive scrawl. She felt her heart sink lower and lower with every word her friend had written.

"Christ, Lee, I'm sorry-" she started. Internally, she was kicking herself. Lacey had been acting funny ever since the Expendables left on the last mission, almost two and a half weeks ago.

"Did you know?" Christmas asked coldly. Molly blinked once before his insinuation sunk in. He knew they had been close, ever since the Lottie thing. If Lacey wanted to run away, it wouldn't be too far of a jump to assume she'd gone to Molly for help.

"No, I didn't," Molly's voice was just as cold. She may have been retired and a mother, but she could still kick his ass. He had been her teammate, her comrade. Her first loyalty was to him. "She never said a word to me. Do you have any idea-"

"No. Things were good-" Christmas paused to take a sharp breath, "_We_ were good."

Molly felt her heart break a little for the Brit.

One by one, the women had left.

It had started with Lottie. Toll had never, and would never, forgive her for keeping her parentage a secret. Instead of staying with him, she had chosen a happier life.

Lottie had dropped by Molly's house and hugged her tightly.

_"Sorry, Molls, but it's not working out between Toll and I. I'm not going to keep trying to earn his forgiveness."_

She had cuddled Gabriel and left. Molly got at least two postcards a week from her.

It had been about three months ago when Reggie left, but it had been on better terms.

_"What about Barney?"_ Molly had asked helplessly. She didn't want the woman to leave. Reggie had become like her mother. The ginger had only smiled, though.

_"Barney and I were never meant for long term, Molly. We were never meant for cohabitation. We're too old and too set in our ways. He knows that. Besides, I miss my boys in Boston."_

And now Lacey had left, too, leaving another Expendable with a broken heart.

Molly reached across the table and squeezed Lee's arm, her hand right over his Expendables tattoo. He let one calloused hand rest over hers as he closed his eyes. Two tears fell down his cheeks.

In the semi darkness of Rusty's, with Poison playing faintly in the background, Lee Christmas, the unflappable, stiff-upper-lipped Englishman cried drunken tears into the chipped table as Molly rested her hand on his shoulder and arm, anchoring him.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you guys for reading!<strong>


	2. It Just Has to be This Way

Lisa Kelley was about to be flung from a saddle bronc when Max Drummer approached.

"Hey, man, you may wanna back up," one of the cowboys cautioned the elderly man. Drummer scoffed. His eyes locked with Lisa's dark blue ones and her body shifted. She was tossed into the dirt and only just rolled away before the horse, a buckskin named Blaze of Glory, brought his hooves down on top of her.

Lisa got slowly to her feet, kind of limping in the way that all rodeo riders do when they're flung from an animal.

Carefully, she got up onto the fence and, using her momentum, swung her leg over. She dropped next to Drummer, her brown leather boots stirring the dust up a bit.

"Major Drummer," she had a clear, Mid Western accent.

"Kelley, you're still not any better at holding on to that damn horse," he said gruffly. That startled a grin from her, making the corners of her eyes lift up.

"Actually, my average time has gone up," she remarked. He made a noise of acknowledgment in the back of his throat as he turned to watch the next one be flung. She leaned against the fence next to him, never taking her eyes away. "What brings you out to my neck of the woods, Major? Iowa's a long way from the East Coast," she remarked.

Lisa Kelley was a woman who liked to know what was going on. If Drummer was there, it could only mean that something had happened. She didn't want to be kept in the dark.

"We sent a team after Victor Minz," Drummer told her bluntly. She felt her temper spike at that.

"What the fuck? I _told_ you—"

"You are _emotionally_ involved, Kelley," Drummer cut her off coldly. Lisa set her jaw firmly and just surveyed him. "Our team fucked up. We're giving them one more shot. You still want a chance to shoot the bastard?"

* * *

><p>Barney felt off without his Lucky Ring, but Caesar needed it more than he did at the moment. According to Molly's bullied doctor, his heart had stopped several times during the night. Barney repressed the urge to swear when he saw Drummer and a few lackeys outside the hospital.<p>

"Drummer, long time no see," he said, trying to be flippant. It had been a while, nearly two and a half months since the Karov Job. "I thought Church was handling this."

"Church is...Out of the picture. It may or may not have had something to do with how he treated some of his other teams. I'm taking over as your handler. What the hell happened out there?"

Barney pursed his lips firmly, looking away from the older man.

"I mean, you had target, opportunity, all the intel you could ask for, and it was a shit storm. You got _decimated_. My target walked away. Am I wrong here? Am I missing something?"

Barney scowled deeply and looked like he very much watched to hit the man.

"Yeah. Church said that the target was Victor Minz."

"And?" Drummer cocked an eyebrow.

"He was _wrong_," Barney spat, finally taking some of his anger out, "His real name's Conrad Stonebanks." _And I killed him. My ghosts have finally come back to haunt me. _Drummer was obviously not happy with his attitude.

"We knew him only as Victor Minz. He's an arms dealer. He's made millions by selling to every psycho warlord in Africa and the Middle East. He has his _own_ mercenary Army, made up of men that make Deborah Martin look like a kitten. He is personally responsible for torturing and killing two of the _best_ men I ever knew. _Friends_. I don't give a shit what his name is. _I don't like him_."

Barney repressed the urge to take a step back.

"I want him as bad as you do. This shitstorm happened on _my_ watch. You fucked up, and I'm wearing it. I will find him. Again. You've got one more shot."

Barney Ross nodded curtly and set his teeth. He brushed past the CIA man.

"Your men are shot to shit," Drummer called, "What are you gonna do for a team?

"I'll handle it," Barney said stiffly.

"I'm sure Martin and O'Shea would be glad to lend a hand...Or maybe even your old medic...John Booker's girl."

"No. I'm not dragging them into this. It's a one way ticket."

He wouldn't—No, he _couldn't_ take anything on this mission that he didn't want to lose. Deborah and Mickey were too valuable, they were the only one who knew their trade well enough, and the world's lost children depended on them. And Molly—Jesus, he would cut his heart out before letting her go on another ride.

"Well, if you're going to make a whole new team, allow me to supply your first member," Drummer waved at the black car. Barney watched as the door opened and a young woman stepped out. She looked maybe a few years younger than Molly with a puckish face and bouncy curls. She was garbed in a thermal shirt and blue jeans. She smirked dryly, her cheeks pushing the outer corners of her eyes up.

Christ, she looked more like an imp than a mercenary.

"Nice to meet you, Mister Ross. Lisa Kelley," she shook his hand firmly. She was shorter than he was by several inches, maybe even shorter than Molly.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded. She tilted her head and her mahogany curls tilted, too. She blinked once, her eyes were a deep dark blue. He couldn't see where pupil ended and iris began.

"Up until a few years ago, I was the body guard and confidante of Victor Minz's daughter. And then, when he decided my services were no longer required, instead of a pink slip, he tried to have me killed," she said bluntly. Barney's brows shot up.

"He's got a-"

"Camille Minz, aged 23; Debutant, thrill seeker, art collector, all around Daddy's Girl," Drummer said coolly. Barney didn't miss the narrowing of Lisa's eyes.

"You know you're better off leaving this alone right?" Barney questioned. Lisa raised her brows, waiting for an explanation. "You're only going to get killed," he elaborated.

"Been there, done that, Mr. Ross. Officially, I've been dead for the last four years. Minz didn't just try to kill me, he got my brother, my cousin, and his pregnant wife. And I lived. I'm not going to let this go. If you don't want to work with me, fine. I'll go myself. I'm going to kill Victor Minz or I'm going to die trying."

Barney shared a brief glance with Drummer. The older man nodded. He trusted Lisa Kelley.

"Alright then, Kelley."

* * *

><p>Molly nearly dropped the beers she was holding when the door slammed open and she saw Christmas disappearing. Barney was no longer at the table.<p>

"What was that all about?" she asked worriedly, her eyes still on the door as she set the beers down.

"Barney just broke up with us," Toll said blankly. Molly's eyes widened a bit.

"You're shitting me," her body shifted instinctively, as if she was going to follow Christmas and Barney outside.

"Nope. Apparently, we're done. That sorry bastard brought me back just to hang me out to dry," Doc shook his head. Christmas came back into the bar, his expression stormy. Molly met his gaze, question clear in her eyes. He shook his head and threw himself into a chair.

In an instant, Molly tore off her apron and was out the door.

"Barney!" she shouted after the man. He was already half way to his motorcycle. "Damn it, Barney!" pain flared in her leg, but she kept hobbling after him. Molly ripped the helmet from his hands. "What the fuck, Barney?" she demanded of him. For a second, it looked like he was about to hit her.

"Go back to your bar, Molly. It doesn't concern you," he told her sternly. Her eyes flashed and he was once again reminded why female mercenaries were a bad idea.

"The _hell_ it doesn't! Your team, _this team_, it's forever, Barney, until you can't go on any more. Those boys in there may be past their prime, but they sure as hell ain't finished!" she seethed.

"I'm finishing them, Molly," he told her.

Her lips lifted over her teeth in a growl of frustration. "That's _not_ your call!"

"_The hell it isn't!_" he roared, his temper finally snapping. He didn't miss Molly's flinch, "You know what happened last time I went up against Stonebanks? I lost my brothers. Stonebanks _killed_ them. I'm _not_ gonna let that happen! Not to those guys. They deserve a better ending than that."

"What _kind_ of ending, Barney?" Molly's voice was halfway pleading, "Lacey's gone, _Lottie's_ gone. This team is _all_ they have left."

"No, Booker, that ain't true. They've got you and the Kid to look after. You're their own sister, and aunt, and mother. You look after 'em more than I ever did, Molly. And you're gonna have to keep doing that."

Molly had gotten pale.

"No, Barney, what the hell are you talking about?"

"This is probably a one way trip, Molly. But Stonebanks will be out of the picture. I promise. Just go back inside and make sure you keep an eye on the guys. Especially Gunnar. He's been drinkin' again."

Molly hesitated for a long moment.

"You're not going alone, are you?" she hedged anxiously. Barney smiled mirthlessly, thinking of the little mercenary Drummer had brought him.

"Naw, I'll find some kids, make a one time team out of them, just long enough to take care of Stonebanks."

Then Molly leaned across the motorcycle and hugged him fiercely, her arms wrapped tightly around his ribs. She pressed her face into his chest.

"Don't you fucking die on me, Barney Ross. You come back or I'll have your ass. Ya hear?" Molly's voice nearly cracked, but he didn't comment on it as he patted her back.

"Yes, ma'am. Go on inside now, Molly."

She pulled away, her head bowed. Molly turned away without ever looking up at him. Maybe it was the wishful thinking part, but he almost imagined he saw tears on her face.

It had been a long time since he'd had anybody cry over his leaving. He missed being cared about like that.

Barney prayed to whatever God was listening that she would look after the guys.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you guys so much for the reviews and follows and favorites. Those notification emails I get pretty much make my day! I know, I need to get a life ;)**


	3. Geniuses and Conflict

Barney kicked the side of the cot and Lisa Kelley was up in an instant. Barney caught the gun as she whipped it up.

"You gonna shoot me without turning the safety off, kid?" Barney asked. She blinked her sleep clouded eyes rapidly and released her hold on the pistol.

Barney straightened and looked down at the gun in his hands. It was your typical Colt 1911, a little banged up, but cleaned and oiled to perfection. She took care of this gun.

"Sorry, Mr. Ross," she apologized sheepishly. He offered the gun back to her, grip first. She took it and stood.

"Don't apologize, kid. Instincts are good to have, but our flight leaves PDQ. We gotta go find our new team."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

><p>Lisa kept her mouth shut for the whole flight. Barney appreciated that. She kept close to him as they made their way through the airport, each with only a back pack over their shoulders.<p>

"Where are we going?" she finally spoke quietly when they got into a taxi cab in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"I've got a meeting with an old friend. He's in the business of finding mercenaries for people who need teams," Barney said gruffly, lighting a cigar. Lisa nodded once as the taxi slowed to a stop. Barney slid out of the car first and held the door open for her so she wouldn't have to step out into traffic.

"Once we get the first guy, you're gonna go back to Louisiana and wait for them to show up. I don't want them tearing up the hangar when I'm not there. There's a red head called Molly Booker, she's got a bad limp and brown eyes, she'll come in and check up on you."

Lisa nodded once, her face serious. Barney got the impression that she didn't smile too often.

They made their way into an all but empty, underground parking garage. Lisa stiffened when she saw the ring of people surrounding two fighters.

"Take a walk, keep your head down," Barney ordered, scanning the crowd for Bonaparte. Lisa peeled away from him and melted into the crowd.

She found herself on the edge of the ring. Across the circle, she could see Barney speaking to a bearded man, their eyes trained on the two sweaty, bleeding men.

It was several minutes before Barney met her eyes, jerked his head, and followed the man away.

Lisa met up with them in the elevator. The new man had more white hair than gray and his beard was neatly trimmed. His light eyes were piercing.

"Who's this?" he jutted his chin out mistrustfully.

"Lisa Kelley, she's got a beef with Stonebanks. CIA sent her my way," Barney said swiftly. "This is Bonaparte. He knows every merc based out of North America."

"Jesus, they just keep getting younger and younger. Are you even out of high school?" Bonaparte scrutinized her.

Her dark eyes went steely as she stared up at him. Barney saw a flash of that furious spark that was so evident in every female mercenary he'd ever known.

"I'm twenty eight. I've done my time, Mister Bonaparte."

Bonaparte's brow twitched once and he smirked. Lisa Kelley squared her shoulders and lowered her eyes. Bonaparte sent Barney a wicked grin.

* * *

><p>The next stop was Grand Teton, Wyoming. The morning sun was clear and there was a slight chill in the air. Lisa was born and raised in Montana, she relished this sort of weather.<p>

She let Bonaparte and Barney walk ahead of her on the path. Her eyes quickly found the man that was well over three hundred feet above her, scaling a mountain.

She edged forward to hear Bonaparte's description of the man. Under Barney's orders, she had spent the plane ride going over the files of the potential teammates.

"What?" Barney had asked when she gave him a wary look in the dim lighting of Bonaparte's plane.

"You…trust me..? I mean, this is serious shit—"

He had sent her a fleeting, but morose smile.

"I did a check up on you, kid, don't worry."

"—By Thorn. Expert hacker and a drone pilot. He did eighteen months for hacking into Seattle's Central Operating System. He shut the whole city down for three days," Bonaparte's tone was dry.

"Why the hell would he do that?" Barney was perplexed.

"Some people get bored," Lisa couldn't help but say. Barney twisted around to pin her with a quizzical look. "When you're a genius, and from what I can tell, this guy is, you aren't content to sit around doing mundane hobbies. He wanted entertainment."

"He finds entertainment in anarchy," Bonaparte agreed, coming to a stop. Barney looked at the fuzzy haired guy at the picnic table. He was typing rapidly on a laptop.

"I'm not looking for an office worker," he told Bonaparte grumpily, miffed his old friend may have wasted so much of his precious time.

"That's not him," Bonaparte pointed at the black clad figure against the tan of the mountain face, "_That's_ him… Another one with a death wish. You two have a lot in common."

Lisa felt anxiety shoot through her when the figure made a leap. He started to plummet, but a blue parachute slowed his descent. He flew over their heads.

Lisa spun to watch him touch down.

So, it was true what she had been hearing from Drummer. Mercenaries were batshit crazy.

* * *

><p>"Come on, Tool! Just tell us where he is!" Toll complained. Gunnar took another swig from his hip flask. Molly limped out of her office in the bar and took it from him.<p>

The Swedish giant let a half formed insult, but Molly shot him a silencing look and he just sulked.

"You know, I just came here before opening time to enjoy a beer with my dear friend, whom I have not spoken to in over a week," Tool said, moping. He had been trying to dodge the Expendables for three days.

"How's Caesar doing?" Molly cut across the argument as she dropped the hipflask into the trash can. Gunnar gave her a dark glare.

"He's fine," Christmas snapped, "And you know where he is, too, don't you, Booker?"

She set her jaw and busied herself wiping down the bar.

"I can't _believe_ you two!" Christmas raged, "After he _abandoned_ us! You're still taking his side!"

Molly looked up at him, her eyes blazing, her gaunt face set with anger. Christmas tried very hard not to notice how exhausted she looked.

"Don't—" she raised a shaking finger and pointed at them all individually, "You do _not_ know what hell Conrad Stonebanks put him through. You, Doc, of all people, should be able to understand. He's doing what he thinks he has to. He's _saving_ your lives." She fumed.

"Do you know how hard it is for him to realize he's not ever going to fly out with you again?"

Christmas opened his mouth, but the door opening cut him off. Billy, carrying a car seat with Gabriel in it, came into the bar.

"Hey, guys—everything ok?" he immediately took in the sight of his wife shaking with anger.

Molly sent a glare to her ex teammates and resumed wiping down the bar. Christmas rolled his eyes disgustedly and left, not sparing Billy a glance. The others followed silently.

"Quit drinking so much, Gunnar!" Molly shouted after him. The door slammed shut. Molly threw the rag down and stormed back to the office.

Tool just shook his head when Billy looked to him for an explanation. He set the car seat on top of the bar and followed after his wife.

Molly was sitting on the edge of the desk, pinching the bridge of her nose. Billy stood close to her, his hands coming to rest on her hips.

"What's the matter, Moll?"

"I just—Nothing. Don't worry about it," she stood and went around to the filing cabinets.

"Don't tell me it's nothing, Molly. We have a teammate in the ICU, and Barney's gone off the rails. None of us even have a right to this tattoo anymore!" Billy gestured to his inner forearm, where the Expendables tattoo was inked permanently into his skin. Molly dug through a drawer, searching frantically for she didn't even know what.

"Molly, _please_, just talk to me," he reached for her shoulder. He felt shock wash over him when he saw her tear stained face. "Hey, hey," he whispered, pulled her into him. She shook violently.

"I should have been there, Billy, I should have—"

"Done what? Molly, you _can't walk_. Stonebanks would have taken advantage of that. He would have killed you, and this may be selfish, but I am so glad it was Hale and not you. You're not a mercenary anymore, babe, you're a mother…" He smoothed his thumbs over her cheeks, wiping the tears away.

"Look, you're exhausted. You have been running yourself into the ground since we lost the baby. It wasn't your fault, and you don't answer to Barney Ross anymore. Just, take the night off, spend it with Gabriel. I'll call in a few extra workers and take care of the place tonight."

Molly winced at his words.

"Please, Molly?" he pressed.

"Alright. Fine."

He kissed her forehead gently.


	4. The Little Wolf

Molly exited her truck with some difficulty. Her leg was stiff this morning. She limped into the hangar, a sack of groceries in one arm.

"Who the fuck are you?" a leggy woman with dark blonde hair sneered. Without even thinking about it, Molly was already calculating how she could take her down.

"Enough, Luna," another woman, shorter than the first, with a head full of bouncy curls, warned bitingly, "She's with Ross."

Molly cocked a brow at Luna, trying to appear intimidating with her cane and groceries. The second woman came forward to take the groceries from her.

"I'm Lisa Kelley. Sorry, we're all a little edgy. Ross still isn't back yet," she said apologetically, offering her hand.

"Molly Booker," her maiden name still rolled off her lips easily, even though it was hyphenated to her married name on her driver's license.

Lisa tilted her head, dark blue eyes quizzical, as Molly shook her hand.

"Like, 'Lone Wolf' Booker?" a male came into view. He was tall and lean, with closely cropped hair and sharp features. "Like 'Little Wolf' Molly Booker?" he continued.

"_You_ were a mercenary?" Luna sneered disbelievingly at her. Molly smiled mirthlessly.

"Why don't you fucking try something, Legs?" she asked sweetly. Luna glared and shifted backwards.

"I'm Thorn," the man stepped up and offered her his hand. She shook it. He had a firm grip. She spotted the tattooed briar vines creeping up the side of his neck.

"And what's your specialty?" Molly asked, leaning on her good leg. He puffed up a bit.

"I'm a hacker," he said proudly.

"Ross finally moving into the 21st century?" she wondered idly. Lisa and Thorn grinned. "He'll kill me if he knew I said that. Just don't forget, fellas, our team survived for a long time with Barney Ross leading us…" Molly turned and started for the exit.

"Wait, why don't you stay?" Thorn suggested. Molly gave him a wane smile.

"Sorry, hon, I've got to work. Take it easy on Barney."

* * *

><p>Thorn was still star struck several hours later as they ate a supper of peanut butter and jelly.<p>

"Her Dad's been around forever! Word is that he raised her up in Alaska," he recounted. Lisa gave him a dubious look.

"She sounded southern," Lisa pointed out. Thorn shrugged carelessly.

"It doesn't matter! You know how much she's _seen_? She's run with Barney Ross for the last three years!"

"Who cares?" Luna scoffed, "She's no good to anybody now, not with that gimp leg."

Lisa looked down at her sandwich.

She didn't care much for the New York woman. Luna was harsh and had a bad attitude. Lisa didn't know how much help Luna would be, or how well the team would get along with Luna's snarky comments.

Her satellite phone began ringing and she got up, leaving Thorn and Luna to argue.

"Kelley," she answered.

"Ross isn't answering his phone," Drummer said briskly. Lisa sighed and ambled outside the hangar, away from the prying ears of her new teammates.

"Last I heard, he was en route to Mexico, tracking down the last candidate. That was yesterday. He should be on his way to Louisiana by now," Lisa said diplomatically.

"He fucked up last time, Kelley. I'm counting on you to keep him in line this time."

Lisa ignored that, "How's the search coming for Minz?" _Stonebanks, he's Stonebanks now, Lis. _

"Underway. I'm counting on you, Kelley." Then he hung up. Lisa shoved the phone into her back pocket, feeling disgusted.

She wasn't a fucking babysitter. She just wanted Victor Minz to pay for what he'd done to her family. She rubbed at her right forearm, feeling the blistered scar under her long sleeve.

She would kill him and watch the light leave his eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry it's been so long! Studying for finals has taken up most of my time! I will try to update soon! Thank you for reading!**


	5. Goodbyes

Molly felt like kicking her husband. He couldn't keep his damn mouth shut. Billy was giving her an apologetic look.

"Well, you coming or not, Molly?" Doc wondered.

"Coming _where_?" she demanded exasperatedly.

"To see our old leader off," Christmas stated, downing his shot quickly. Molly rolled her eyes.

"Goddamn it," she muttered as they left the bar. It wasn't even past noon, and most of them had already had several shots. Gunnar kept taking what he thought were surreptitious sips from his hipflask.

"Gotta go, Billy," she shuffled out to her truck. They had already tore down the street on their motorcycles.

* * *

><p>Molly's leg ached something awful as she hurried to catch up with the scorned mercenaries.<p>

Barney looked up as they entered the hangar. He gave her an annoyed look and she tried to convey her repentance through her eyes.

"Guys, _please_, just let it lie," she hissed as the new team perked up at their entrance.

"Heard you got a job," Toll said off handedly. Molly grimaced. _Here we go._

"That's right," Barney said neutrally. Christmas only had eyes for the new team packing up behind Barney.

"Who the hell are they?" the Brit asked caustically.

"They're with me," Barney's voice took on a slight defensive edge when he heard them all stop their packing.

"And we're not?" Gunnar asked belligerently, taking a swig from his silver hipflask. Barney suddenly looked very tired.

"Gunnar, I told you everything I had to tell you back at the bar," he said patiently. "Stop drinking so much," he added grimly.

"You _wanna_ get yourself killed," Doc stated. "With those youngsters?" _We were all supposed to go down together, as a team. Goddamn it, Barney._

"Do us all a favor and get the hell out of here," Barney said churlishly before turning and retreating to the back of the hangar, away from the accusing eyes of his old team.

"Wheels up in ten!" he ordered.

"Heh, come on," Gunnar started forward. The others followed suit. Molly was torn between going after Barney to try to talk him out of this suicide mission and staying with her boys, keeping them from starting what would surely be a bloody fight.

Responsibility won out in the end. She was still a medic, and their wellbeing was her first priority.

Two new people had joined Thorn and Luna. The man with a dark mohawk gave her a very obvious once over and a wolfish grin.

"Looking a little frail to be going out on a mission, baby," he noted. Molly watched as Thorn stiffened. He wouldn't break character, though. He wanted to appear tough to the old guard.

"Mars," Lisa said in a warning voice. He spared her a short glimpse before turning his eyes back to Molly.

"Real smart kids you're running with, Kelley," Molly remarked to the dark haired woman. Lisa gave her a brief, tight smile.

"Hey, babe, why don't you just wait for me, and when I get back from this mission, we'll have a little fun?" he suggested, grinning lecherously.

Molly gave him a sweet, tolerant smile.

"Well, darlin', that sounds like it'd be a blast. Can my husband come, too?" she held up her left hand, showcasing the plain band that rested there. Mars visibly deflated.

Molly's attention, having been riveted on this young buck, was quickly drawn to where Gunnar was staring down Thorn.

"You wanna dance, big guy?" the hacker looked all too willing to throw down. Molly was just about to call Gunnar off when somebody shouted.

"_HEY!_"

It was the last member, a tall, well-built fellow who looked rather like a mountain man with a month old beard. Tattoos crawled up and down his arms

"It's just a job," he said firmly, meeting the eyes of his teammates. Christmas shook his head, smiling darkly.

"Come on, let's go," he turned.

"Bunch'a has-beens trying to be hard," Mars grumbled, loud enough for everybody to hear. Molly stamped her temper down, the logical part pointing out the kid was just trying to get a rise out of her.

Christmas took the bait, though.

"You're young and you're dumb," he said with finality. He threw a knife with startling speed. Mars spun to watch it embed itself in a cabinet.

"Jing-aling, jing-aling," Doc noted gleefully.

"Keep it. You're going to need it," Christmas started walking again. He stopped when he realized Molly wasn't following. "You coming, Booker?"

"Just a minute, Christmas," she drawled, leaning on her cane. Now, all eyes were on her.

"Listen up real close for me, kiddoes," she started. _Molly, some of these guys are probably older than you._ _You _count_ as a kid. _ "You listen to Barney Ross, you'll survive. Going off the rails, pulling cowboy shit…Well, that's a good way to get yourselves killed."

She was about to turn and limp out after her guys when Luna spoke.

"You listen to Barney when you hurt your leg?" she asked snidely, sticking her chin out. Molly turned and gave her a sour smile.

"Well, sweetheart, everything _was_ going according to plan, until our intel shot out my knee while my back was turned… If it hadn't been for my team, _those men_ who just walked out of here, I'd have bled out in the middle of Cairo," Molly said coolly.

Nobody said anything. Molly gave Lisa a pleasant smile.

"Stay safe, kids," she limped past them to the aviation fuel where Trench Mauser was smoking his cigar.

"A pretty speech, Little Wolf. How's your son?"

"Heya, Trench. He's fine, trying to walk… Keep an eye on Barney, ok?"

"I'll do my best, Molly," he patted her shoulder and let her hobble back towards the kitchenette in the back of the hangar, where she and Barney had spent so many early mornings before missions, eating in an easy silence.

"What?" Barney asked impatiently when he saw her. She blew out a long breath through her nose. He sighed, running a hand through his black hair.

"I wish you would let us come with you, Barney," she said lowly. He couldn't meet her gaze.

"You can't go anywhere with that leg," he said sharply, not missing the hurt that flashed across her face.

"Barney—"

"Don't start again, Molly. It's all been said. I'm going after him, _without_ everybody."

Molly pursed her lips and looked down.

"Just… _please_ be careful, Barney," she pleaded. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement. He wouldn't make any promises he couldn't keep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you guys for the follows and favorites! All of my finals are done so I will be updating more often!**


	6. Promises, Promises

"Kelley! Get over here," Barney called as he watched Molly retreated from the hangar. The dark haired woman set down her back pack. "The rest of you get strapped in," he shot to the others. He didn't need an audience for what he was going to tell her.

"Yes, sir?" Lisa stood at ease, her hands clasped behind her back. Barney sighed, recalling his conversation with Drummer the night before.

_"Your girl's not gonna be happy with that," _Barney had griped when Drummer told him they had to bring Stonebanks in alive.

_"Then don't tell her. Christ, Ross, you're in charge."_

But Barney didn't work that way.

"Look, Drummer came last night," Barney stopped. Lisa nodded.

"I assumed as much," she said slowly, "What's wrong?"

"They want Stonebanks alive," Barney spat out. Lisa went ghost white, her lips pressed into a hard line. "They want to try him at The Hague… As a war criminal."

Lisa cleared her throat and lowered her eyes.

"Sir, I feel I should give you full disclosure. I will help you capture Conrad Stonebanks and deliver him to The Hague, but, whether he is found guilty or innocent, I _am_ going to kill him."

Barney blinked in surprise. He had been expecting a red faced, spittle flying rage. He could have handled that. This, though, this calm, cool reaction, made him uneasy.

"That's fair enough. You gonna be able to keep your cool until then?"

She gave him a mirthless smile.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

><p>Lisa slid the bullet into the magazine. Her thumb was starting to cramp up, but she ignored it. Her fingers were smudged with black from the lead.<p>

Luna was mechanically cocking and uncocking her gun. It was grating on Lisa's last damn nerve, but she wouldn't be the one to say anything.

Luna already thought there was some sort of pissing contest between them. Lisa was doing her best to ignore the woman.

"Do you mind?" Thorn snapped, his eyes flashing. Luna scoffed.

"_This_ is the least of your worries."

Lisa paused and was about to tell Luna to back off when Smilee leaned forward and cut in.

"Look, here's an idea, how about we focus on the assignment?" he suggested irately. Thorn smirked wryly at him.

"Now, does anybody know _anything_ about this guy Stonebanks?" Smilee asked gruffly.

"Stonebanks was SASR."

"What?" Luna asked Thorn.

"Australian special forces," Lisa said bluntly. All eyes shot to her in the back of the plane. She glanced up at them briefly before refocusing on her task of loading up magazines.

"And?" Smilee pressed. Lisa sighed heavily and put the magazine back into the green ammo case.

"And he's a sociopathic motherfucker who's gotten rich by backing up every third world warlord there is," she said coldly. She was all too aware of her scarred skin.

"How do you know so much about him?" Luna gave her a wary once over, her eyes full of suspicion.

Lisa looked away from her pointedly, pulling on knee up to her chest. She kept her gaze trained firmly on the wall opposite. She could feel the hot fire and hear their screams. Camille's smiling face popped into her head.

After a few long moments, she felt them look away from her.

"That's it? That's all?" Smilee asked Thorn.

"It's more than you know," Thorn said petulantly. Lisa resisted the urge to stand up and slam their heads together. _They're teammates. They need to stand together or we're all fucked._

"Really?" Smilee was exasperated.

"You're both useless," Thorn muttered. Lisa pursed her lips. _Don't get involved. Just sit tight. You have a job. Focus on that._

"Here's another idea," Mars opened his eyes and pulled an earbud out. Lisa sent the man a sidelong glance from the corner of her eye. She thought he had been asleep. "How about you assholes take it outside?"

Many hours later, Lisa was curled up on the very end of the plane bench. Everybody else was snoring lightly. Out of the darkness, she could pick out Smilee's sitting figure. Sleep evaded him, too.

Barney stepped out of the cockpit.

"You got a minute?" Smilee wondered. Lisa listened hard, wondering what was pressing so heavily on Smilee's mind that he had to wait up for their leader.

"What do you need?" Barney didn't even look up at him.

"Tell me more about this guy we're going after." There was no question and no respect in his tone. He expected to be kept in the loop.

_Mercenaries. No fucking respect._

_You were a mercenary once, too, Lis. _

_I was a body guard masquerading as a babysitter. _

"Doesn't matter," Barney stated simply, "You were hired to do a job."

"How about answering why we're doing this job," Smilee threw his legs over the side of the bench. Barney finally turned to face him. Lisa vaguely wondered if Barney would hit him.

"I owe you a salary. That's it."

Smilee stood defiantly. _Moron. Barney Ross would floor you in a second_, Lisa was still watching on with detached interest.

"Why are we going after Stonebanks?" Smilee asked, facing him down boldly.

"You have a hard time taking orders, don't you?" There was no amusement in Barney's voice. He sounded exhausted.

"If I don't know what they are, yeah."

There was a heavy silence as they stared one another down. Smilee was the first to look away.

"Look…I know you don't give a damn about us. I get that. But just tell me why you want to take out this guy so bad."

_He wants to know that he won't die in vain_, Lisa realized. John Smilee didn't care whether he lived or died, as long as he stood for something.

This time, it was Barney that looked away.

* * *

><p>Molly ran an exhausted hand over her face. Billy had just gone home. She wasn't supposed to work tonight, but her mind would be too active if she went home to her son and husband.<p>

_Barney is going to get himself killed on this mission, _was the predominant thought. She had to keep herself busy. _You're the medic. You're supposed to keep them safe._ _I can't save them from themselves. Barney is hell bent on this suicide mission, and I have to make sure the others don't drink themselves to death._

Toll sat at the end of the bar, looking deeply troubled. She limped over and wiped down the counter.

"I hate it," he told her. Molly wasn't sure how she could respond.

"Barney made his choice, Toll," she said numbly. He sighed and gave a disgusted look to the men at the other end of the bar who were greeting each other gleefully.

"Do you ever regret it?"

She poured herself a generous tumbler of whiskey and took a long drink. Toll blinked in surprise. He didn't think she was taking it _that_ badly.

"Do I regret that I ran from an asshole when he tried to have his way with me? Yes. I don't regret serving time for my country. It haunts me every day, what happened to my boys in Iraq… But becoming a part of the Expendables, I won't ever regret that."

"Expendables are done, Molly, we've been retired," Toll said cynically. Molly leaned on the bar and looked him dead in the eyes.

"As long as your heart's still pumping, that tattoo on your arm is forever. We're never done."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I do apologize for the wait! Holidays, vacations, blah, blah, blah. I hope you all have a lovely New Year!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	7. Rat

Lisa kept her annoyance down. Barney had ordered her to keep an eye on Thorn. He didn't trust her to be down on the ground near Stonebanks when the hacker got the intel photos.

"You keep pacing, you're going to wear a hole in the roof," Thorn commented dryly. Lisa shot him a venomous look.

"You nervous, baby?" Mars asked over the comm. Lisa pursed her lips. She was on edge. He would be _right there._

_Don't, Lis, you promised Ross. You promised you would bring him in alive. You go back on that, Drummer will stick you in the deepest, darkest hole in Gitmo._

_ But he'd be dead._

"We're on," Barney's voice sounded through her ear piece. Lisa kept vigilant as Thorn snapped the photos. If she looked over the ledge and saw the man she worked for, she didn't know if she could repress the urge to shoot him.

"Alright, got it," Thorn straightened and left the edge of the roof.

"Meet you back at base. Make sure you're not followed," Barney said. Lisa opened the door and started down the stairwell.

"Do you think Stonebanks will recognize you?" Thorn asked from behind her. Lisa froze and spun around. He had taken off his throat mic. Their conversation wouldn't be broadcasted to the rest of the team.

She stared hard up at him. He was about three steps above her, and already a giant, compared to her small frame.

"What the fuck do you know?" She didn't raise her voice or add menace to her tone. That's what made Thorn nervous.

"I did my research after that comment you made about Stonebanks. You didn't know him as Stonebanks, though, did you?"

Lisa yanked her throat mic off and glared heatedly up at him.

"You're walking a _very_ fine line, Alexander Montgomery."

Surprise flashed across his face at the fact that she knew his real name. "Yeah, I did my research, too." She began to walk down the steps. Thorn followed her closely.

"You're not a mercenary. Why did Barney let you on this team?"

"I'm not a gun for hire, not like the rest of you. I worked exclusively for Victor Minz for eight years. I looked after his daughter, Camille."

"And then he killed your brother."

"My brother, my cousin, his pregnant wife, plus an entire apartment building full of innocent people. Men like Victor—Conrad Stonebanks don't hand out pink slips," Lisa said stonily, continuing to take the steps.

"That was four years ago. Why are you just now—"

"You hack into the CIA's database?" She spun abruptly, facing him again. He shuffled awkwardly before opening his mouth. "No, don't answer that. Where the hell do you think they got all their info?"

"You ratted," he accused. Her eyes ignited.

"Yes, the fucker killed my _best friends_. The CIA's kept me on a leash ever since. I am the only intel they _have_ on Victor Minz."

"And now they're letting you go after him?" Thorn asked.

"Yeah, they are… They want him alive, you know? I don't think Barney was supposed to tell me until he had to," she mused.

"You ok with that?" Thorn asked warily as they stepped out of the building and into the watery sunlight of Bucharest, Romania.

"Of course not," she said scathingly. Thorn fell silent beside her. They walked in that heavy silence for many blocks

"Are you going to go rogue? Pull cowboy shit, like Booker told us not to?" he asked warily. She gave him a reproachful glare.

"No. That's a good way to get everybody killed. I'm not an idiot."

Thorn seemed to relax a bit. Lisa Kelley may have been hell bent on revenge, but not at the expense of others.

* * *

><p>Molly smoothed her son's hair back as the beeping of Caesar's heart rate monitor lulled him to sleep. Under Billy and Tool's orders, she had been forced to take the day off.<p>

She had been in Caesar's hospital room since that morning.

"Booker?"

Her heart jumped.

"Hey, big guy," she greeted a slowly awakening Caesar. He looked around, confused. "You're in New Orleans. Parish View Hospital," she supplied.

"The guys—"

"They're fine," she hesitated, "I need to go get your doctor. I'll fill you in after they finish checking you out," she promised.

While the doctors and nurses scurried about for a little over an hour, Molly sat out of the way in the corner of the room, Gabriel sleeping in her arms.

Once the room had finally cleared, he looked at her expectantly.

"You've been unconscious for a little over a week. You had us worried," she admitted. He rolled his eyes.

"You worry like a mother hen, Booker."

"I can't help it."

"Are the guys ok?"

"Yes."

"But…?" Caesar urged. Molly sighed heavily and set Gabriel down in his car seat. She ran a hand through her hair and paced the room. Caesar immediately saw how bad her limp was.

"Barney's gone after the guy… _Without_ the guys," she ground out. His heart rate monitor began speeding up.

"Are you _kidding_ me?!"

"Hale," she said warningly. He huffed angrily, but the beeping slowed. "He's retired the Expendables, he picked up a new team. Some kids that Bonaparte tracked down."

"Where are the guys? Why'd they let him go?"

"There were some pretty nasty arguments… But, I mean, it's Barney. We can't exactly hog tie him and stick him into a closet until he sees sense."

Caesar looked very much like he wanted to disagree with her, but he kept his mouth shut. Molly leaned against the window sill, her face drawn as she stared out at the courtyard.

"Does—" Caesar stopped himself and Molly turned to look at him. "Does my wife know?"

Molly's hard expression softened. She had only met Caesar's ex wife once. The woman was a force to be reckoned with.

"Toll called her. She's with the kids in California at the moment, visiting some relatives. She's going to come see you when she gets back," Molly said gently. Caesar nodded once, his expression sober.

A nurse knocked on the door and poked her head in.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but Mr. Hale needs his rest."

"Oh, come on—" Caesar whined. Molly glanced at her watch.

"No, Caesar, it's fine. I have to get Gabriel home before I go to the bar," she picked up her son's car seat. "I'll come and visit you tomorrow. You want me to bring some books?"

Caesar shrugged apathetically.

* * *

><p>Molly's leg was killing her as she poured shots and pitchers of beer. Gunnar was over in the dark corner booth where he thought she couldn't see him. He had been through a fifth of Grey Goose already and she was about to go and cut him off.<p>

_That going to help any, Molls? He'll just go someplace else… At least here you can keep an eye on him. _

A ruckus drew her attention over by the jukebox. She limped out from behind the bar and approached the man and woman who were arguing.

"Hey, knock it off," Molly grabbed his shoulder. He whirled, bringing his mug around. Molly saw stars.


	8. Past

"Hey, Barney, can we talk?" Lisa asked as the team loaded their gear into the CIA issued van. The older man glanced away for a brief moment.

"Yeah, alright."

They left the team alone, retreating farther back into the safe house.

"Barney, I'm a better fighter than Luna, and a better shot than Mars. Why are you leaving me to play babysitter with Thorn?" she asked evenly, never tearing her eyes away from his as she looked up to him.

Barney had to repress the urge to look away from those dark shards of blue ice. Lisa was a deadly combination of Molly Booker and Reggie Frasier, with a hint of Deb Martin's insanity lingering under the surface.

But this woman had everything under wraps with an impenetrable façade. It made him very anxious.

"You've got a lot of experience in that area, don't you?" he said coldly. He didn't miss the twitch of her now closed fist. Her control was dangling by a thread. "That's why," he jerked his head downward. She look at her hand and suddenly flexed it.

"Because I made a fist?" she asked sarcastically.

"Because you're a loose cannon when it comes to this guy. I know what happens when you go on a job that's personal. You'll put yourself and this team in danger. So, you're staying with Thorn."

A muscle in her jaw jumped and she pursed her lips until they were nothing but a white line. Lisa Kelley nodded once.

Barney ran a hand over his forehead and went back to the van.

* * *

><p>When Molly hit the floor, Gunnar was across the room in the blink of an eye. The brawler felt the full force of the giant's fist on his face. He was out cold.<p>

"Molly?" Gunnar hated that his words slurred as he bent down to check out the red head. Blood was pouring out of a cut on her brow.

"All right, everybody pay your tabs and get the fuck out!" the waitress, Jan, shouted as she dropped to her knees. "I'm calling 911—"

"Do it, Jan, and you're fired," Molly mumbled, rolling over onto her stomach. She dry heaved a few times, but her stomach was empty.

"Christ, Molly—" Jan started.

"Call Doc," Molly ordered Gunnar, "I am so fucking tired of hospitals."

Molly looked like a corpse as she sat at the bar. She held a towel to her still bleeding brow. The bar had been cleared and Jan had mopped up the bloody floor before going home. Gunnar poured himself a generous shot of cheap tequila.

"Gunnar, you're three sheets to the wind," Molly's words were slurring as much as his were.

Gunnar opened his mouth to retort, a petulant expression on his face, but the door opening cut him off.

"Oh, good, you're awake," Doc noted, dropping his olive green, canvas bag onto the bar. "Follow my finger," he shone a pen light at her eye to watch for uneven dilation of the pupils. "What happened?"

"Some drunk hit me with his mug. I told Billy the sturdy glasses were a bad idea."

"She been throwing up?" Doc asked Gunnar.

"Dry heaving," he rumbled.

"I probably don't need to tell you that you have a concussion," Doc said as he pulled the towel from her brow. He immediately began to swab the area with an alcohol soaked cotton ball. Molly cringed at the burn.

* * *

><p>Approximately 5,900 miles away, Lisa kept fidgeting in the van. Thorn was focused wholly on his task.<p>

"Would you knock it off?" his asked sharply. Lisa narrowed her eyes at him, but he had already turned his eyes back to the lap top screen. "You're driving me insane," he told her plainly.

"Short trip," she said acidly. Thorn shook his head exasperatedly, his long fingers dancing across the keyboard.

Lisa yanked her earpiece out as shots crackled across the wave. Thorn glanced up at her, concern flashing over his face.

"You ok?"

"I don't like doing nothing," she said curtly, flexing her hands in front of her. In that moment, Thorn prayed he never got on her bad side. He straightened when Barney's voice came through his earpiece.

"Got him."

* * *

><p>"Why don't you just put a bullet in his head and be done with it?" Smilee asked gruffly. Lisa ground her teeth. <em>Why indeed?<em>

Stonebanks began to rouse. Barney said nothing. Smilee reached across the van and ripped the duct tape from his mouth.

Barney and Stonebanks' gazes met for a millisecond before Barney clocked him in the mouth.

"Hey!"

Both Smilee and Thorn lunged forward to restrain their boss. Mars tried to peer around his seat.

"We've got it handled," she told him. She sat parallel to the back of the van, on a wooden box that was mounted between the two front seats.

"You said we were taking him in!" Thorn said vehemently. Barney's angry gaze flitted over her, knowing she had opened her mouth about the Hague. Lisa's face was expressionless.

Stonebanks straightened, blood dripping down his chin.

"Are these your students?" his eyes lingered too long on her. "It's nice to see you again, Miss Kelley. How'd you like my present?"

Thorn flung an arm out, catching her across the chest as she tried to shift forward, her control lapsing for a millisecond.

"She's a dangerous one to take on, Barney, never know what she's thinking."

Barney shot her a warning look and when Stonebanks realized he wasn't going to get another response out of her, he turned to the rest of them.

"Hey, kids, what'd you learn tonight?"

Everybody stayed quiet.

"What happened to your old team?...Oh, that's right. They stuck their noses into other people's worlds and got fatally injured."

Lisa stiffened and Thorn's grip on her arm tightened.

"Now they're the Deletables… Hey, you hear that, kids? Take note, 'cause that's what you're doing right now!"

"Want me to shut his mouth?" Smilee asked, looking all too eager at the prospect. Lisa's hand itched for the switch strapped to her boot.

"You're talking pretty tough to a guy who's incapacitated. Which is good for you," Stonebanks drawled. Ice shot down Lisa's spine.

"Is it?" Smilee scoffed.

"Why don't you cut me loose? I'll open your meatshirt and show you your own heart," Stonebanks never raised his voice. He could have been talking about the weather, for all his inflection. Lisa swallowed hard.

_"I don't like it, Kelley. I've been able to keep Camille safe here. She's been talking about a road trip to Paris. I can't have her running off to France, Kelley." _

_ "Yes, sir." She stood at ease in the middle of his ornate office, eyes trained at some sport over his shoulder. _

_ "I like you, Kelley, you've been a good soldier and you've taken bullets for my daughter. I would hate to have to replace you." He spoke with an easy tone. Lisa nearly cowered under his steely eyed gaze, but that wouldn't do. You never showed fear when faced with a predator. _

_ "Of course, sir." _

"Why don't the two of us just end this?" Stonebanks suggested. "What do you say? Mix it up… Either you snapping my spine or me snapping yours… You know, make it snappy."

Lisa pursed her lips at his attempt at black humor. Smilee scoffed.

"He thinks I'm joking. I'm not joking. You should ask Kelley how I am when I'm angry. Not pretty is it, little Lisa?" Stonebanks' joking manner changed to dead serious. "You would be very impressed. Then very dead."

Smilee sent Lisa a sidelong glance as Stonebanks leaned forward and asked, "Anything you wanna get off your chest?"

Barney's expression didn't change. He was trying very hard to keep it all contained.

"Come on, lay it out. I'm a good listener," Stonebanks encouraged. "You gonna take me back to the Has-Been Crew? Carve me up around a fire? How very tribal."

_Yeah, and therapeutic_, Lisa thought snidely. Barney was finally sick of it. He leaned forward over his knees.

"When we stop, I'm going to break every bone in your body… Then I'm going to drop what's left at the Hague."

Stonebanks grinned widely and leaned back.

"The _Hague_," he began to chuckle, "I _finally_ made the big time. I'm a _war criminal_." Lisa felt sickened by the amount of glee in his voice.

She had known Stonebanks wasn't a good man, but her paychecks helped her put her little brother through college. _You worked for him, Lisa, for six years. _She felt like throwing up.

"Keep laughing," Barney invited coldly.

"You think you can deliver me like a package?" Stonebanks' voice lowered dangerously. "We were close once… You see, kids, we started this whole Expendables thing together."

Barney was looking everywhere but at Stonebanks.

"See, I've got the marks," he twisted, showcasing the old tattoo on his right forearm. Thorn looked at Lisa, question in his eyes. She shook her head.

"A bit faded," he admitted, "but we had a falling out."

"You went dark," Barney accused.

"It's a dark business, Barney, don't pretend you're not in it. Even Kelley knew when I picked her up all those years ago."

Thorn glanced at her, but she was looking determinedly at her steel toed boots.

"The baddest survive. Those are the rules. I didn't make 'em up." Stonebanks tore his eyes from his ex partner to address the van. "See, Barney here was content to work for the small end money as an employee… Being boss is more lucrative, but that's a concept that somehow eluded you….Plus, you've got that pesky moral conscience. God, that stuff gets in the way. You know he thinks he's the good guy?"

Stonebanks looked around as if he expected Thorn to voice his agreement.

"Keep talking while you can," Barney grumbled.

"Sure," Stonebanks agreed amiably. "You got a conscience and that makes you weak. Success, _real_ success is being willing to do the things that other people are not."

"Not everybody's is as sick as you," Barney said stonily.

"Oh, but you _are_!" Stonebanks disagreed, "You kill anyone today, Barn? Blow any shit up? How about you, kids, kill anyone?"

Stonebanks looked straight at Lisa.

"Before you all start grabbing bricks to stone me at the Hague, you might wanna check your own hands for blood."

Lisa stared right back at him. Stonebanks sighed and looked away.

"But I digress, where was I? Oh, yes, business is booming, right? A chopper here, a missile there. Guns, whatever. When, _suddenly_ a competitor." Stonebanks was really getting into his story now. Lisa had only seen him this animated when he had taken a few shots. "If you can call Uncle Sam a competitor," Stonebanks drawled, "hires my own team, Barney and the whole gang, to whack me. Things got real ugly _real_ fast and a lot of people got dead. Three former brothers in arms."

"And how is that Barney's fault, you fucking psychopath?" Lisa asked icily. Stonebanks turned his deranged blue eyes to her.

"Let the grown ups talk, Kelley. I'll get to you later. We have a long ride to the Hague. Do you wanna hear about Kelley's stint with me, kids?"

"You shut your mouth," Barney ground out.

"Three Expendables died, Barney! Our _brothers!_ Men we ate with, fought with, _bled_ with! _Dead_! He puts three slugs in my chest. Thank God for body armor. Even _I_ thought I was dead. Then he boogies out with the casualties. All _dead_ because you couldn't _stay out of my business!_" Stonebanks roared.

"Shut your mouth!" Barney snarled, yanking out his gun and standing up. Both Smilee and Thorn caught him and the cramped van was chaos for a few minutes.

"Eyes on the road," Lisa warned Luna, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Barney dropped back into his seat and Stonebanks chortled derisively.

"Oh, it's hard to fathom. I can't believe you forgot!"

"What?" Barney spat.

"That it's hard to beat an enemy when he's livin' inside your own head… See, you tie me up, like an animal, lead me to the slaughter. You humiliate me, disgrace me." His voice had gone low again, and he was deathly calm as he spoke, "When the time comes to kill you, and it will, I will not use a weapon, I will use my hands. Because I want you to feel the way that I feel right now."

Lisa looked from Barney to Stonebanks. Her boss was frowning deeply.

"Jesus, we were brothers," the war criminal leaned back, but then flung his head forward into Barney.

Smilee and Thorn jerked forward and Lisa pulled out her gun, ready to end it all. Luna jerked the van and she slammed into Mars' seat. Thorn and Smilee had Stonebanks pinned. A rapid beeping filled the air.

"It's a GPS tracker!" Thorn's voice rose in panic.

"How about that?!" Stonebanks cackled.

Lisa had only barely acknowledged the heavy thrum of helicopter rotors before the van was sent careening on its side.

The back doors were shredded off and she was yanked out by centrifugal motion.

She skidded over the asphalt until she hit the concrete road divider. Something hot and wet spread over her face and her arms burned.

The next thing she was aware of was some hulking man grabbing a fistful of her French braided hair and dragging her over to where her teammates were being lined up.

Hot adrenaline pulsed through her veins and she dug her thumb into the giant's wrist tendons. He yelped and she swung her leg around, kicking him in the back of the knee. He crumpled and she grabbed his gun.

Another gun fired and ice spread through her arm.

"Wait!" Stonebanks called. His lackey stopped. "I may need them."

What Lisa had missed was another goon approaching her from behind and bringing his gun down hard on her head. She crumpled to the asphalt.

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><p><strong>AN: Yay! All of these favorites and reviews have made me very happy! Fair warning, though, classes have started, so it may be an even longer time before the next update. Thank you guys!**


	9. Sinners

**A/N: I know! Forgive me for neglecting this story! The review from JazzyFish is what prompted me to post! Thank you guys for sticking with me!**

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><p>Lisa was rudely awoken when somebody tossed water onto her. Her arms were uncomfortably numb above her.<p>

"Oh, dear, there she is! I think my guy knocked a few screws loose when he smacked you like that. You still with us, Kelley?" Stonebanks was well into her personal space.

"Fuck off," she spat breathlessly. She had been strung up by her arms, and her toes just barely touched the ground. He grinned at her and paced before the line. Her teammates were strung up next to her. Luna was directly on her left, and Thorn was on her right.

"You want to hear a story, kids?"

Lisa set her jaw.

"Once upon a time, there was an eighteen year old girl who had been raised by her Green Beret father. He got drunk and drove home and took out a car full of teenagers with him when he ran that red light. And Little Lisa was left with a sixteen year old brother. Now, this heroine had been in and out of juvie for getting into fights with bad elements, and I needed somebody to watch out for my daughter. It may surprise you, but I have a lot of enemies," Stonebanks drawled.

Lisa could feel the eyes of her teammates drilling into her, but she didn't look away from her old boss.

"Now, Little Lisa worked very hard for the next six years, taking several bullets and keeping my daughter safe. Then she decided to develop those pesky little morals I talked about earlier. She left. I had given her room and shelter, all the training you could ask for. She really was a killing machine, and I even put that little brother through engineering school. And she _fucking left!_"

Lisa flinched as his yell echoed off the walls.

"So, I tracked down her brother. It wasn't hard, really. She was only gone a week. And I sent them a little present. And Little Lisa died in what was dubbed a gas leak. Very sad," Stonebanks shook his head.

"So, you can imagine my surprise when I find out that Little Lisa _survived_, and not only that, she turned _rat_ on me. And she came to kill me…Four years later. What's the matter, Kelley, you didn't have the guts to do it without the CIA's approval?" he sneered. "They made you wait four years to avenge your brother and your cousin, and his wife? She was pregnant wasn't she?"

"Shut up," Lisa turned away.

"Oh, what was your brother's name? You still wear that locket, kid?" Stonebanks' calloused hand tugged at the collar of her shirt and he pulled the chain roughly from her neck.

He popped it open to reveal the picture. He yanked it out and looked at the back.

"Oh, yes, Timothy. How could I have forgotten?"

"Shut your fucking mouth," Lisa ground out.

"He was going to go and fight overseas, wasn't he? A real American hero your brother was!"

Lisa yanked her feet up and kicked Stonebanks hard. He doubled over, clutching his groin.

"Don't you fucking talk about my brother, you son of a bitch," she seethed. Stonebanks waved his men away and stepped up close to Lisa, grabbing her braids to force her to look at him.

"Just between us, Lisa, how'd you survive?"

She spat at him and then saw the fury ignite in his eyes. He backhanded her and stars erupted in her vision.

"I'm going to kill your team, Lisa, just like I killed your family. And I'm going to make you watch. Then, I'm going to kill you."

"Fuck off," she snarled. Stonebanks wiped the spit off his cheeks and left, his entourage following.

The lights turned off and there was silence, save for their labored breathing.

"You worked for him?" Mars' voice came from down the line.

"Give it a rest," Thorn groused. Lisa looked up at her hands to keep the tears from falling down her grimy cheeks. _I'm so sorry, Timothy._

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><p>Molly felt ill as she wiped out glasses. The bar was empty. They had only opened about ten minutes ago and the day drinkers hadn't started to shuffle in yet.<p>

There was a strong throbbing right behind her eyes. _You've had concussions before, Moll. Tough it out. Billy will come in in an hour and you can go curl up in bed. _

Her husband had tried to keep her from coming in today, but it was a losing battle.

The bell over the door jingled and she looked up. The man was lean, with a knit cap pulled snugly over his black hair. He didn't look much older than mid forties.

He approached the bar warily, his black eyes trained carefully on her.

"Can I help you?" she drawled, shifting so she could feel the weight of her pistol under her flannel shirt.

"You are, uh, Marie Booker, yes? The one they call the Little Wolf?" he had a thick Spanish accent. Molly discreetly wrapped her hand around the grip of the gun, easing it out of the holster.

"I'm not sure who 'they' are, but that nickname really gets on my nerves," her voice got cold. He held up his hands defensively.

"Uh, I apologize, Miss Booker, I won't use it again. It's just, well, you are much younger than I thought you would be," he said.

"Who the fuck are you?" Molly's hand tightened on the gun.

"Oh, uh, I am sorry, Miss Booker, my name is, uh, Galgo. I am a mercenary, I was interviewed by Barney Ross. I was just wondering if you could tell me where to find him?"

Molly raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with his story. This guy was either the jumpiest mercenary she had ever met, or a _very_ bad liar.

"Sorry, hon, he's on a mission. Won't be back for a while."

"Ah, I see, yes, thank you. Perhaps I will have a drink before I hit the road again?"

"Fair enough," Molly kept her eyes trained on him.

Galgo seemed harmless as he chattered about his work and mercenaries he had run with. Molly kept a close eye on him as she continued cleaning up the bar. Nobody else came in.

"And then we were surrounded—"

He was cut off by the obnoxious ringing of her phone. She yanked it out of her pocket and pressed it to her ear.

"Yeah?"

"Barney will kill me if he knows I called you, Little Wolf," a thick Austrian accent greeted her.

"Trench, what's happened?"

"Stonebanks has taken Barney's team captive. I just dropped him off at the hangar. He's going to do something stupid, Booker."

"Goddamn it. I'll call the others. Thanks, Trench," she said.

"Any time, Booker." He hung up. Molly quickly dialed Christmas.

"Booker—" The Brit was definitely irritated with her.

"Barney's back, he's going after Stonebanks alone."

"Shit."

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><p>"Wakey, wakey!" Lisa watched helplessly as the chains were roughly drawn taut and her teammates groaned. "Good morning, Lisa," Stonebanks strode up to her.<p>

"Fuck off," she said bluntly. Her chains were suddenly loosened and she hit the ground on her knees. Stonebanks crouched in front of her.

"You know, something has been bugging me," he remarked as Lisa tried to regain the feeling in her arms.

"Oh, yeah? Lose a lot of sleep?" she sneered. He gave her a reproachful look.

"_How_ did you survive that fire?"

A lead ball formed in her gut and she narrowed her eyes. "I mean, you're good, but you're no Lone Wolf. Did you know I used to run with him? Yeah, his little girl runs with Barney these days, doesn't she?"

"What can I say, Stonebanks? All that training paid off," she looked up at him. He smiled tolerantly.

"Well, I appreciate that, Lisa, I really do."

His hand snapped around and a hot pain radiated from her jaw. Lisa was set sprawling at Luna's feet.

Lisa looked up, seeing Stonebanks silhouetted by the too bright flood lights. He was rolling his sleeves up.

"Lisa, Lisa, you know how much I hate getting my hands dirty," he sighed heavily.

"Did you set the bomb yourself or have one of your goons do it?" she pushed herself up to a standing position. Her legs were beset with pins and needles.

"Lisa, I'm a busy man. I hate to break it to you, dear, but you were hardly the most pressing matter. You were reported dead, that was all that mattered."

"You're a sick bastard," she said disgustedly, tearing her eyes from him. He had been her salvation once, when she was eighteen and lost with a little brother to take care of.

"I know, and I'm still alive. You do what you have to do, Lisa."

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><p>Little black pinpricks were dancing across Molly's vision as an impromptu team meeting unfolded before her.<p>

She just rocked her son. Galgo had paid his tab and left after she got off the phone. Molly knew he had probably run off to the hangar.

"Molly!" Doc snapped his fingers in front of her face to get her attention. Billy gave her a concerned look.

"We're going after Barney," Christmas informed her.

"I'm going with 'em, Molls," Billy said quietly, looking uncomfortable. Worry tightened her heart. "You're still shaky from that concussion. Will you stay here with Gabriel?" he stepped forward, smoothing his son's hair back.

Molly swallowed hard.

"Molls, _please_, you're not in any shape to go running around."

"Ok," her throat was dry. Was this it? Was she really giving it up?

Billy pressed a hard kiss to her mouth, not concerned with the presence of their teammates.

"I love you, Molls," and then they were gone.

Molly Booker looked down at her son. He looked back up at her with clear eyes that seemed to understand.

_Father, forgive me for what I'm about to do._


End file.
